The increased use of automation in transaction processing has led to substantially increased efficiency and reduced costs in many applications, including supermarket transaction applications. Many products are packaged or otherwise presented so that standardized identifiers, such as bar codes, can be read by automated equipment. However, produce has been and continues to be particularly resistant to automated identification by prior art techniques. Produce identification frequently relies on books or charts of photographs available to a cashier, matching by a customer or cashier of the appearance of a produce item to a photograph on a checkout terminal display, knowledge by a cashier of the identities of various produce items, labels on each piece of produce, or any of a number of other mechanisms involving manual selections or entries by a cashier or customer. Such procedures involve labor costs to a retailer and in the case of self service entries, increase the time spent by the customer in completing a transaction. In addition, the use of labels directly affixed to food items has created its own particular difficulties since its inception. The affixing of labels to food items adds costs due to the labor or machinery needed to affix the labels, and the presence of labels on food items frequently decreases customer satisfaction. In addition, not every produce item is conducive to the use of labels.